1.

Branding Questions
Branding (consideration = Roles & Factors) increase (# offices//#product//%share)
Answer:
- Branding definition (Regus): Kotlar
o Brand Equity & Values
o Brand Strategy and why
o How it could help in increasing (# offices//#product//%share)
These are the main aspect that could be an asset while increasing (# offices// #product//
%share), but Regus should maintain other factors that help its brand building and
positioning as:
- Brand building and positioning aspect
o Differentiation
o Added Value
o Service quality
o Communication
o Staff (Problem)
Also Regus should consider external factors that may affect its Brand while increase (#
offices//#product//%share), as :
- Factors affecting the Brand:
o Target market (size and growth)
o Competition & relative position
o Budget, investment and profitability
o Customer:
Needs
Money vs quality balance
Capabilities
Retention and acquisition cost

2. Pricing Question
Pricing strategy + Factors influencing it + Profit margin improvement
- Potential Ideas to discussed:
o Impact on brand
o Impact on sales/profitability
o Potential substitutes
- Factors:
o Objective
o Targeted Customer affordability & Perception
o Value for money
o Competition (nature of pricing)
o Communication & position Loyalty
o Price elasticity
o Macro-aspect - Economic
o Sales, profitability and ROI
o Demand for service
o Pricing strategy
- Profit margin:
o Profit Cost Price relation
o Elasticity of demand and how it could be enhanced
o Increase or reduction of service
o Pricing strategy clarity
o Develop lower cost options (Regus Express)
o Negotiate terms with landlords
o Customer retention and acquisition cost
o Improve management portfolio

3. Communication plans
Communication plan
Reason:
- opening new location
- increasing awareness of product in a country
- increasing market share
- launching Regus Express in a country
- Build a customer relation (retention and acquisition)
- Communication plan definition:
- Situational analysis
o Macro
o Micro
Competition/ substitutes
Customer needs (price and information) // power
o Company:
Brand equity and Value.
Core competences and assets.
Target market.
- Objectives:
o Corporate
o Market objectives
- Strategy: Pull // STP // Development of the message
- Tactics (communication mix)
o Promotion
o Others
(Ideas for communication: Blogs: Articles & Researches about doing business in
//business tips for virtual offices // how to select your packages // office management //
business trends // time management, cross link these articles to website to drive more
traffic and increase awareness, also place adds to it. Facebook and linked in chat about how
Regus could improve its service especially areas to develop or packages to enhance, do
promotions, Jokes about business as Adam Scotts Dilbert, also link articles without sharing
its content, to avoid Facebook ownership policies. YouTube: virtual tours also change the
research content into videos to cope with new online marketing collateral trends, share
jokes and entertain your customer as Scott Adams's Dilbert business jokes. All these should
be amended to language and channels.
- Actions, Responsibilities and Budget
- Control and metrics

Marketing communication effectiveness

- Why measuring effectiveness
- Tactical measures (numbers)
o PR (online & offline) -AVE
o Direct mail
o Publication
o Website visit via Google
o Social media - metrics
- Operational measures (correlations)
o Conversion rate
o Customer satisfaction

o Awareness to demand ratio

o Cost vs. leads
o Customer acquisition cost
o Customer retention cost
o Relative Effectiveness of communication channels
Strategic Measures
o Basic sales // incremental sales due to marketing
o ROI

Critically evaluate the effectiveness of Regus marketing communications activities in

comparison to those of its competitors. (25 marks)
Comparison of approaches to advertising/PR/use of website
Search engine position
Social media activities
Use of word of mouth
At location sales teams
Rationale for approach
Positioning
Differentiation
Segmentation
Niche
Social Media + advantage and disadvantage
- Digital technology are becoming increasingly important to most economic sectors,
due to high level of connectivity, where internet is the center of this revolution,
while social media simply a channel where individuals and companies could work,
share ideas, interact, enjoy time and sell & buy. It is used as:
- Uses:
o Awareness
o Launch a new service
o Customer update
o Developing loyalty
o Influencing behavior
o Lead generation
((Tools: Facebook, linkedin, twitter, google+, youtube, Smart phone apps, SMS, Blog // Sina
weibo, Renren, Wechat (mobile app) // vkontakte, facebook, Twitter))
- Advantages:
o Global reach with low cost
o Low production cost
o Highly adoptable message
o Highly targeted and frequent (permission)
o Interactive way (two-way)
o Continuous trading
o Avoid negotiation
o Measurable
- Disadvantages:
o Time consuming & Keeping info up to date
o Standards changes
o Targeting problem
o Capturing and security (authority) info
o Adopting message to different channels.

4. Consideration and broader market

Analyse the key marketing considerations for Regus as it embarks upon a broader
international expansion programme, which will see the opening of further serviced office
premises
Macro:
Demographics
PESTLE factors
Micro:
Customer demand & affordability
Local spending power/affordability
Cultural differences.
Competition & Positioning
Company aspects
Its objectives
Costs/Profit/ROI requirements
Branding & positioning
Make-up of the market/population
Language barrier
Accepting of branding/communications materials
Adapting the marketing mix appropriately

5. Marketing Mix + Customer service//loyalty//Building

relationship//Deliver customer value
Marketing Mix + (Customer service//loyalty//Building relationship//Deliver customer value)
- Definition of Marketing Mix + (Customer service//loyalty//Building
relationship//Deliver customer value)
- Process (Reliable)
o Efficiency of online resources
o Customer response mechanisms
- People: (Assurance/responsive/empathetic)
o Skilled staff (center manager // social media manager)
o Effective customer service
o Quotation reply
- Physical evidence
o Website
o Office corporate identity
o Testimonials & case studies
o Research & white papers
- Promotion
o Branding/corporate identity
o website
o Social media
o Environment and CSR.
- Product
o Tailored to specific needs
o Constant innovation
o quality
- price
o Value for money
o Loyalty discounts
o 12 month discount
o Rate devalue

6. Marketing Mix & Shareholders

Marketing Mix + stakeholder and charitable activities
- Extended marketing Mix + RATER + TRUST
- How market Mix influence to connect
- Shareholder definition: it is any individual, group or organization which might affect
or be affected by and organization activities or actions,
- Managing relationship
o Initiation
o Development
o Consolidation
o Partnership
- Service level agreement + Information flow.

7. Marketing Mix & Internal and External Factors

Marketing Mix + Constraints and influences
- PESTEL ((Economic//Legal))
- 5 Forces ((competition//Client//suppliers))
- Companies Brand equity and value
- Process (Reliable)
o Efficiency of online resources
o Customer response mechanisms
o Greener enviroment
- People: (Assurance/responsive/empathetic)
o Skilled staff (center manager // social media manager)
o Effective customer service
o Quotation reply
- Physical evidence
o Website
o Office corporate identity
o Testimonials & case studies
o Research & white papers
- Promotion ((Organization culture Objective Growth senior management))
o Branding/corporate identity
o website
o Social media
o Environment and CSR.
- Product
o Tailored to specific needs
o Constant innovation
o quality
- price (Budget resources o Value for money
o Loyalty discounts
o 12 month discount
o Rate devalue
- Place (Location and network)

Tough Questions (No data)

8. Place
Key consideration for location + future development
Consideration:
- Macro-consideration
- Micro-consideration
- Company (Brand/position/budget/strategy)
- Customer
- Competitors locations and network
- Staff availability (partners' selection locations)
- Standardization and adoption
- Budget and investments
Future consideration:
- Mobile work
- Virtual offices
- Home-based work
- Global companies
- Emerge market BRIC
- Other services

9. Product & Product development

Product development activities
New product availability
Innovation approach
Branding strategy
Internal and External Factors that affect NPD
Reflection on Brand / positioning /
Cost / ROI
Budget
Training staff
Idea generation:
o Internal Sources
o External Sources
Screening
Concept Development
Concept Testing
Business Analysis
Service Development
Test marketing
Commercialisation
Relate to Regus:
Input from staff, management and clients
Customer views obtained from surveys/online forums
Staff training on new product/service delivery
Monitoring financial performance of newly launched locations/services

10.

Customer service/ Loyalty/ retention

Customer service/ Loyalty/ retention

Customer satisfaction (RATAR) Revise the Audit with the points.
- Regus activities and points
- Customer influence (information) and seek (money for value)
- Profitability
- Conflict management
- Pricing approach
- Two-way Communication
- Regular dialogue
- Partnership approach
- Level of service
- Responsiveness
- Life time value
- Join activities
- Ethical priorities
- Investment in technology.

Explain how Regus could use its corporate responsibility activities to build customer
relationships and what could be the possible risks associated with this.
Build customer relationships:
Clear understanding of the target customer
Carbon emissions position
Focus on the customer/customer is right approach
Staff commitment to customer service
Charitable activities
SERVQUAL elements
Risks:
Failure to meet standards set
Supply chain issues (problem with Regus landlords)
Expense of this focus
Sustainability of charitable giving/support
The companys own carbon footprint/meeting reduction aims (not been that
successful to date)
Journalists always keen to find negative stories

Analyze the perceived service expectations of Regus key client organizations and assess how
Regus should go about managing its relationships with these key accounts
Service requirements of these clients likely to include:
Confidentiality
Trust
Recognition of their specific needs
Speed/efficiency
Reliability of support infrastructure
Understanding of their business needs
Reference SERVQUAL as a model for determining service
requirements/expectations

Management of relationships with key client organisations should include:

Effective to way communications/information flow
Regular contact/dialogue
Maintaining/utilising customer data
Identifying/tracking key customers
Providing named liaison personnel to deal with client needs
Hospitality/entertainment, as appropriate

Examine the potential risks and challenges that Regus may face in managing relationships
with its customers and suggest appropriate ways of dealing with the risks and challenges
identified.
Potential risks/challenges might include:
Undertaking effective segmentation/understanding customer needs
Retention
Loyalty
Provision of adequate service provision
Maintaining customer information systems
Ways of dealing with risk/challenges identified:
Appropriate tailoring and execution of the communications/marketing mix
Promotion of new products/services
Undertaking regular customer satisfaction research
Ensuring with the right staff/management for serviced properties are provided
Other relevant points would also be awarded.

11.

Important Definition:

Customer Value: the customer total benefits received from purchasing Regus services.
Marketing Mix:
Brand: a name, term, sybol or design that differentiate a product or service from its
competition.
Brand Management: aims to protect and develop brand to achieve better position among
its rivals taking in consideration competition, communication mix and other aspects.
Profit margin: profit expressed as a percentage of the selling price of an item.
Regus inelastic
Distribution channels: the means through which the organization delivers its products and
services to the end customer.
Stakeholders: it is any individual, group, organization or body which is might affect or be
affected by an organization's decision and/or activities.

Gronroos triangle : quality, functionality and customer expectation

Pre-KAM
Early KAM
MED KAM
PARTNERSHIP KAM
Synergetic KAM
Uncouple KAM

Potential no relation
Initiation testing each other formal relation try to match
Develop work proactively
First choice
Work together to create a value
Terminated

KAM marketing mix:

-

Product: tailored
Price: taking in consideration past and future benefits//volume and potential //
loyalty discounts with loss leader strategy.
- Place: flexible channel
- Promotion: long-term relationship, and highly tailored (one-to-one)
- People:
- Process
- Physical evidence: professional communication +brand
Partnership
Initiation
- Recognition of importance
- Interest generated + target
- Multiple relation contact
identified
- Matching product customer need
- Understand needs
Consolidations
Development
- Focus on building loyalty
- Demonstration of ability and
- Innovative offering
promises
- Support relationship

Customer service: Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of
customer satisfaction (Electronic commerce: Turban et al, 2002)
Customer satisfaction: is the percentage of customer who's experience with organization's
product or service exceed a specific goal (Marketing Metrics: Farris, P et al,2010)
Marketing communication plan: a framework for analyzing an organization situation
identifying, target audiences, specific message to be delivered through a communication
mix, within a certain budget and responsible people also it contain control and effectiveness
metrics to assure delivery
Strategic social engagement: complete engagement, brand awareness, retention and traffic
Effectiveness levels (Market metric in action: Patterson. L, 2008)
Conflicts: misunderstanding // inadequate resources // inadequate delivery // exaggerated
promises.